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middle of this lake sat the Snow Queen when she was at quite benumbed and motionless; one would have imagined
home; and then she said she was sitting in the Mirror of he was frozen to death.
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Suddenly little Gerda stepped through the great portal his hands and feet, and he was again well and merry. The
into the palace. The gate was formed of cutting winds; but Snow Queen might come back as soon as she liked; there
Gerda repeated her evening prayer, and the winds were laid stood his discharge written in resplendent masses of ice.
as though they slept; and the little maiden entered the vast, They took each other by the hand, and wandered forth
empty, cold halls. There she beheld Kay: she recognised him, out of the large hall; they talked of their old grandmother,
flew to embrace him, and cried out, her arms firmly hold- and of the roses upon the roof; and wherever they went, the
ing him the while,  Kay, sweet little Kay! Have I then found winds ceased raging, and the sun burst forth. And when
you at last? they reached the bush with the red berries, they found the
But he sat quite still, benumbed and cold. Then little Reindeer waiting for them. He had brought another, a young
Gerda shed burning tears; and they fell on his bosom, they one, with him, whose udder was filled with milk, which he
penetrated to his heart, they thawed the lumps of ice, and gave to the little ones, and kissed their lips. They then car-
consumed the splinters of the looking-glass; he looked at ried Kay and Gerda first to the Finland woman, where
her, and she sang the hymn: they warmed themselves in the warm room, and learned
 The rose in the valley is blooming so sweet, And angels what they were to do on their journey home; and they went
descend there the children to greet. to the Lapland woman, who made some new clothes for
Hereupon Kay burst into tears; he wept so much that the them and repaired their sledges.
splinter rolled out of his eye, and he recognised her, and The Reindeer and the young hind leaped along beside
shouted,  Gerda, sweet little Gerda! Where have you been them, and accompanied them to the boundary of the coun-
so long? And where have I been? He looked round him. try. Here the first vegetation peeped forth; here Kay and
 How cold it is here! said he.  How empty and cold! And Gerda took leave of the Lapland woman.  Farewell! Fare-
he held fast by Gerda, who laughed and wept for joy. It was well! they all said. And the first green buds appeared, the
so beautiful, that even the blocks of ice danced about for first little birds began to chirrup; and out of the wood came,
joy; and when they were tired and laid themselves down, riding on a magnificent horse, which Gerda knew (it was
they formed exactly the letters which the Snow Queen had one of the leaders in the golden carriage), a young damsel
told him to find out; so now he was his own master, and he with a bright-red cap on her head, and armed with pistols.
would have the whole world and a pair of new skates into It was the little robber maiden, who, tired of being at home,
the bargain. had determined to make a journey to the north; and after-
Gerda kissed his cheeks, and they grew quite blooming; wards in another direction, if that did not please her. She
she kissed his eyes, and they shone like her own; she kissed recognised Gerda immediately, and Gerda knew her too. It
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was a joyful meeting. and Gerda sat down on them, holding each other by the
 You are a fine fellow for tramping about, said she to lit- hand; they both had forgotten the cold empty splendor of
tle Kay;  I should like to know, faith, if you deserve that one the Snow Queen, as though it had been a dream. The grand-
should run from one end of the world to the other for your mother sat in the bright sunshine, and read aloud from the
sake? Bible:  Unless ye become as little children, ye cannot enter
But Gerda patted her cheeks, and inquired for the Prince the kingdom of heaven.
and Princess. And Kay and Gerda looked in each other s eyes, and all at
 They are gone abroad, said the other. once they understood the old hymn:
 But the Raven? asked little Gerda.  The rose in the valley is blooming so sweet, And angels
 Oh! The Raven is dead, she answered.  His tame sweet- descend there the children to greet.
heart is a widow, and wears a bit of black worsted round her There sat the two grown-up persons; grown-up, and yet
leg; she laments most piteously, but it s all mere talk and children; children at least in heart; and it was summer-time;
stuff! Now tell me what you ve been doing and how you summer, glorious summer!
managed to catch him. THE LEAP-FROG
And Gerda and Kay both told their story. A Flea, a Grasshopper, and a Leap-frog once wanted to
And  Schnipp-schnapp-schnurre-basselurre, said the see which could jump highest; and they invited the whole
robber maiden; and she took the hands of each, and prom- world, and everybody else besides who chose to come to see
ised that if she should some day pass through the town the festival. Three famous jumpers were they, as everyone
where they lived, she would come and visit them; and then would say, when they all met together in the room.
away she rode. Kay and Gerda took each other s hand: it was  I will give my daughter to him who jumps highest, ex-
lovely spring weather, with abundance of flowers and of ver- claimed the King;  for it is not so amusing where there is no
dure. The church-bells rang, and the children recognised prize to jump for.
the high towers, and the large town; it was that in which The Flea was the first to step forward. He had exquisite
they dwelt. They entered and hastened up to their grand- manners, and bowed to the company on all sides; for he had
mother s room, where everything was standing as formerly. noble blood, and was, moreover, accustomed to the society
The clock said  tick! tack! and the finger moved round; but of man alone; and that makes a great difference.
as they entered, they remarked that they were now grown Then came the Grasshopper. He was considerably heavi-
up. The roses on the leads hung blooming in at the open er, but he was well-mannered, and wore a green uniform,
window; there stood the little children s chairs, and Kay which he had by right of birth; he said, moreover, that he
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belonged to a very ancient Egyptian family, and that in the The Leap-frog stood still for a long time lost in thought;
house where he then was, he was thought much of. The it was believed at last he would not jump at all. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]